PROVO — Big-hitting freshman Gabi Garcia Fernandez came to BYU under extraordinary circumstances, but not as extraordinary as how he first came to the sport of volleyball. Both circumstances have the 6-foot-7 Puerto Rico native swinging strong for the BYU men's volleyball team this season, helping the Cougars once again contend with the nation's best.
Fernandez began his volleyball journey by literally walking into a gym and starting from scratch at the age of 13. Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he'd already become infatuated with baseball and had made strides in the sport, playing for one of the many club teams around the island U.